Controversies
During his career, Crew's administrations have been marred by unreported cases of sexual assaults, drops in test scores and efforts to remove independent oversight.
In New York, a 1997 report by Edward F. Stancik, the Special Commissioner of Investigation, questioned school administrators for not following procedures and delaying the report of a rape of a 14-year old girl, which was the third instance in that high school. In response to the report, Crew initiated due process procedures to determine disciplinary action for the administrators involved. In Miami, Crew’s administration was once again involved in not reporting a crime and obstructing the investigation involving the sexual assault of a 14-year-old female student by a football player, who was later charged with lewd and lascivious assault on a minor.
In both New York and Miami, Crew was blamed for organizing efforts to remove independent oversight during his tenure. Crew engaged in a campaign to have New York’s independent investigator Edward F. Stancik removed by accusing him of exaggerating his reports saying they were overly dramatic and adversely affected the school system. In Miami, a civil suit was brought against Crew by the former Miami-Dade County Public Schools Inspector General, Herbert Cousins, a former FBI agent who alleges Crew and his staff slandered and defamed him to obstruct his investigation and disclosure of illegal activities by Crew and some board members.
When looking at Crew’s student achievement record, some point to one-year drops in test scores as a picture of his overall record. The Abt report concluded that Tacoma’s 1995 increase in test scores was most likely a result of efforts to increase student test-taking skills, but Tacoma school officials believe the short-term gains were a result of Crew leaving for New York causing a setback in continued improvement. Peter Sacks, an author and journalist, said that Crew is one of a breed of superintendent who focuses on short-term gains that may not be good for the district in the long-term. However, in New York, reforms initiated during Crew’s tenure have been credited with playing a role in the continually improving test scores that his successors have achieved. During Crew’s tenure, student achievement levels had been rising steadily for several years when math and science scores dropped in 1997, as a result of new tests and higher standards. At the time, Mayor Giuliani placed blame on the school board and the dysfunctional system itself.
In Miami, critics point to an increase in “F” schools during 2007 that was actually a state-wide phenomenon caused by a change in the school grading formula. The Greater-Miami Chamber of Commerce stated that Crew’s success was reflected in the District’s performance on the FCAT, which continues a trend that adds up to significant improvement over the last five years. In 2009, this overall trend continued, and Miami high school students made greater gains than their peers statewide. Crew’s secondary school reform initiative was credited by his successor for boosting the district’s high school graduation rate.
In June 2008, the Miami Herald reported that Crew's School Improvement Zone generated few noteworthy achievements in its first year. One school board member stated, "We spent $100 million and it didn't do anything. To me, that's a complete failure." Defenders of the program note that over the project's three-year history, substantial gains have been made, including the percentage of "D" and "F" schools dropping from 90% in 2005 to 22% in 2007. One principal credited the initiative with helping her school raise its grade from a “D” to an “A” in three years.
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